Posts Tagged ‘dimension’

I know a lot of our readers are still intimidated by contouring and highlighting and if you’re one of them, this tutorial is for you! There are many different ways to highlight and contour different features, depending on which ones you want to pull forward (highlight) or push back (contour). In case you missed it, check out my C & E Tutorial from last year for another really easy version. But if you’re still thinking to yourself “I’ll never take the time to do that,” then try this!

Kabuki Blending Brush — Wait until you get your hands on Sigma’s 3DHD Kabuki Brush! Its angular tip helps cling to each feature like no other brush before it. I also used the smaller precision version to draw the contouring triangles on the cheeks and the highlighting triangle on the chin.

Egg-Shaped Sponge — By now you know I never do a full makeup application without a dampened Beauty Blenderfor the smoothest foundation application possible!

Before you apply foundation (but after primer if you’re a primer girl), start by drawing two upside-down triangles underneath the eyes with the concealer stick as demonstrated above.

Draw a third upside-down triangle on the lower half of your forehead also with the concealer stick..

Draw a sideways right-angled triangle just under each cheekbone with the lowlight sculptor and a precision brush. Think of it as a “support” that holds up the bone. Really it’s creating a shadow to make the cheekbone look more pronounced.

Draw a sixth triangle with the concealer stick on the chin just below the lower lip. You can do steps 1-4 in any order.

Blend blend blend by swirling the kabuki brush along the edges of each triangle.

Once every thing is blended, pump a few drops of foundation in the palm of your hand and dip the egg sponge in a few times to load it up. Now stipple (press) the sponge lightly over everything, concentrating again more on the edges of each highlight and contour than actually going over them. And of course fill in the areas that are bare.

Finish by smiling in the mirror and applying the blush on the top half of the apples and along the area in between the highlight and the contour (if you look at the cheekbone, the highlight is just above it, the contour just below it and the blush goes directly on it).

It always surprises me that for most women, contouring is often a skipped step. When you apply foundation to your entire face, you’re creating a blank canvas, making it critical to go back and add the dimensions back in. Technically, contouring is about shadows and light; if you’ve ever taken an art class you’ll remember that you use darker shading to push an area inward and lighter shading to pull an area outward. This is great for creating the appearance that you have a stronger jawline, more defined cheek bones, and a slimmer face.

TOOLS:

Foundation

Sponge or Foundation Brush

Bronzing Powder or Cream Bronzer

Flat-headed Bronzing Brush

1. Apply foundation all over face and neck with a sponge, foundation brush or fingers.

2. Look in the mirror and suck in your cheeks. This will instantly show you exactly where your cheekbones are. Sweep bronzing powder/cream bronzer with a flat-headed bronzer brush just slightly under cheekbones from the hollows to your ear.